Of Pride and Beauty: The story of Beauty&Beast
by Unleashed Soul
Summary: **Chapter 12 is up!!** One horrible night a peasant boy is turned into a beast because of his pride - One horrible day a noble girl loses everything she held dear - And that is when the true fairy tale begins.........R&R please
1. Beginnings

_I will tell you a fairy tale…_

_Once upon a time, _

_For all fairy tales start in such a day_

_A young peasant boy was out to prove himself to people who shouldn't and didn't truly care_

_They mocked him to bother him, _

_So the peasant boy went to prove himself to these noblemen,_

_And to save his pride..._

_A young noble woman was being forced to marry a nobleman_

_Though, predictably, that was the last thing she wanted_

_In her search for freedom she left her home,_

_And lost everything she held dear..._

_And then the true Fairy Tale begins_

_The tale of:_

_Of Pride and Beauty: The __Story__ of Beauty & Beast_

°*°

  It was a cold and ugly night. The air was full of light drizzle that soaked you in the worst of ways, and then the wind blew and froze you horribly cold. The sky was full of clouds and you could not see the full moon that had been out or the bright, shiny stars. The ground was full of mud puddles and wet grass, a dangerous time to be out for those that were not cautious. 

  None of these things, however, stopped young Marc from being out. His youthful courageousness, or was it stupidity? call it what you will, carried him through the dark and supposed enchanted forest. He quickened his pace after each noise he heard. Running on foot, cursing himself for not riding on his horse, he ran. 

  _Can you run fast enough? Can you get away from me?_

_  Marc ran faster than he thought was possible for his feet to move. Someone, __Something! was chasing him and he knew that it wished him harm._

_  Why am I out here? How could I be so stupid? Those questions and more along the same lines ran through his head as fast as he ran through these enchanted woods._

  _Your__ slowing down..._

  _Shut up! Shut up! Marc growled in the back of his mind. Though he knew it was true; his pace was slowing, he was getting tired. His legs finally gave way and he fell too his knees. So he crawled. His hands, they had been roughed up by his petty "low class" chores that he had, began to burn as the flesh was pulled from them from rough rocks and shark sticks. He cursed himself again. Those "high class" people were the reason he was out here. _

  _No, your pride is the reason you are out here._

_ "Shut up!" he screamed out loud this time before collapsing to the cold, wet ground. He could hear the footsteps now, whatever was chasing him was huge!  It was on him now, breathing down the back of his neck. _

  Out of pure exhaustion, or perhaps it was out of fear, whatever it was, Marc soon found his sanctuary in a deep, black pit of unconsciousness.  

°*°

  "You can't be serous, Beauty!" Daniela complained again. Of course, Beauty (as people call her, though her true name was Teresa), ignored her sister and climbed onto the beautiful stallion. "I'll tell Father!"

  _Teresa__,__ is the name so difficult to say that everyone must call me "Beauty"! Beauty inwardly wined. She hated the fact that she was born a noble, unfree to do as she pleased. She hated the fact that she was being forced to marry a man who only loved her because of her money. She hated the fact that she was simply born a woman and not a man, for men in these days were able to do nearly anything they pleased. She hated the fact that she fell in love with a man who was a "peasant". She hated the fact that she was beautiful, for if she was ugly no noble would wish to marry her. Mostly, she hated the fact that there was __nothing she could do about it._

  Beauty ignored her sister and rode off into the woods.

  Beauty was 19, older than her sisters in both age and maturity, with long chocolate colored hair and large green-blue eyes. She was had a slim waist and a womanly body, though she was short she was still beautiful. Her sister, Daniela, who was only a year younger than she, had red curly hair and big green eyes. Pretty, but without such a womanly figure as Beauty had. Her other sister, Mari, who Beauty loved and cherished, was only five years old, with the same chocolate hair as Beauty had and big brown eyes. Everyone said, though her age made it hard to tell, that she would grow to look just like Beauty does now.  

  She rode off towards the forest where she and Angel usually met. She loved him, she knew. She had loved him from the moment she had first met him. Sure she had been attracted to his looks, his long blond hair braided down his back, his well built and muscular body and his bright, blue, shining eyes, that smile... she loved his smile most about all his looks. But it wasn't his looks that she saw that made her love him, it was the way he treated Mari. 

  Mari had been sick, a terrible flu really, and Angel's father was one of the "low class" doctors. He didn't get paid much for his work, in fact, if the person he was treating didn't have the money to pay him he didn't mind at all. It was rare that the "high class" people would need his help. However, this particular time he was the only man who had the remedy. Angel's little sister was ill at the same time. When word got around this doctor was the only one with the means to help, Charles, Beauty's father, had quickly gotten him to come and help his daughter. Angel was with him as a helper or a "nurse" as Angel called it. He held on to Mari's hand and even gave her something sweet to drink after the nasty bitter taste of the medicine. He treated her like he would his own sister, or better, his own daughter. Beauty found him so much more attractive and it was then that she noticed his looks. She fell in love with him then. 

  But then that bugger, Rick, a noble man of course, asked Beauty's father for Beauty's hand in marriage. To Beauty's horror, her father agreed. 

  "Teresita!" Beauty looked ahead and shook the thoughts from her mind. Angel was walking towards her, a grim look set upon his normally cheerful face.

  "What is it?" Beauty asked, concerned about the man she loved.

  Angel looked at her, and then he looked away, towards the ground. Beauty felt a lump build in her throat. Whatever it is he was going to say was going to hurt both of them.

  "My father wishes for me to wed." Angel said, still not able to meet Beauty's green-blue eyes.

  "Angel, you're a man! You get to choose if you marry or not!" Beauty said as she slid from her saddle. 

  "Teresa," Angel said trying to calm her, the look on her face said well enough that she was angry. "You don't understand."

  "Don't understand?" Tears already formed in her eyes though she did all she could to hold them back. She had never actually confessed to Angel that she loved him, nor did he confess it to her, though she knew it to be true. "Angel he can't force you to marry!"

  "I want to get married, Beauty."

  A knife stabbed the young girl's heart, she could feel her inside lurch and her head began to swim.

  "Beauty, I don't understand you sometimes." Angel said putting his hand near his face and rubbing his eyes. 

  Beauty couldn't speak, only watch him, and hold back the sick feeling and the tears.

  "When will you marry Rick?"

  "Never," Beauty said hatefully. 

  "Never? And what will you do then, Love?" 

  _Love, if only you meant it!_

  Angel couldn't believe what happened next. He understood it then, when he saw the bag in her hand, the way the horse was packed. Beauty was running away.

  "You're... I mean, you... You can't!"

  "I don't want that life..."

  "Then what do you want?" 

  _"You," Oh how she wished she could say it, wished she could find the courage!_

  "Do you want to live like a peasant, Teresa!" Angel said, suddenly sounding angry.

  "If it meant I could love who I chose?" Beauty said looking down at her feet. "Of course."

  Angel shook his head and sighed. He turned towards her and wished to say something but the words didn't come out. 

  "Well, I guess I had better get going before it gets too dark... I came to say good-bye," She was unable to look at him. She had actually come to see if he would go with her, but now that he proclaimed he was getting married, what was the point?

  Angel kissed her on the cheek and she mounted the horse. She felt the tears already start to fall. 

  "Lousy bum!" came a shout from behind and Beauty looked to see a large group of rather angry looking men. 

  Angel growled a very rude and cursing response and Beauty couldn't believe that the words he had used, the _language, had come from his lips. _

  After that everything broke out so terribly quickly Beauty hardly knew what was happening. She was pulled from her horse by a man with a mustache too small for his head, he yelled remarks that Beauty didn't completely understand, and was tossed painfully to the ground. 

  "Leave her alone!" Angel shouted, there was blood on his fists and, Beauty observed, two men on the ground holding their bleeding faces. The man grabbed Beauty by the arm and twisted it behind her as he climbed on top of her. She pushed at him, screaming for him to leave her be, she struggled and with her free hand she scratched his face, leaving four streaks of blood down one cheek.

  "Get off of her!" Angel said as he untangled himself from the fight of the several bullies and towards the man who was trying to harm Beauty. 

  Angel lifted the man from her and threw him to the ground, then continued to throttle him. Beauty, propping herself on her elbows watched in horror as the knife came up, then she screamed when it came down and took Angel's side. Beauty continued to scream as the man who had drove the dagger into the man she loved crawled back on top of her. His friends, afraid that if they stayed would be held accountable for murder, ran away. 

  Angel murmured curses towards the man with the small mustache and Beauty just screamed whilst this man did as he pleased with her.

  When it was finally over the man simply stood, kicked Angel once more in the side, a mumble came from his lips though it was too quiet for Beauty to hear, and then walked away.

  Beauty, fixing her clothes as quickly as she could, tears streaming her face quickly moved to Angel's side. He looked up at her, touched her cheek with his hand, and his eyes fluttered shut and he gasped in pain.

  Beauty held him and cried, not knowing if she should stay with him or run to find help. She didn't even know if she could run as the pain filled her own body. She knew she couldn't let Angel die so she stood and started to leave, but Angel called her back.

  "Stay..." he murmured and she laid beside him and cried and spoke comforting words to him, though he hushed her with his hand. "I love you, Teresita."

  And he died...  

***

  Teresita (pronounced Teh-reh-see-ta) is a Spanish pet name for Teresa. I liked it so I had Angel call her that. If you think this rating should be higher (though if you look at movies now-a-days I would have to disagree with you) let me know so I don't get in trouble!

  Okay... Now the next chappie might not be out in quite awhile because this is kind of like a "Test chapter" sounds silly I know... Anyways let me know if I should continue or dump it (I know its kinda rushed but all my beginnings are rather rushed, let me know if it has "potential")... If you like it I will start up a really good story line (or as good as I can do) and also let me know if you want happy ending, sad ending, or one those "sad but in a happy way" kinda endings.

  Ahem... well I guess begging for reviews is always a good idea ^_^ 

If you review you will get a nice big Ice Cream Cone!

Please Review

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	2. Chapter 2

AN: *Gives her big sister: techbaby the FIRST ice cream cone with double scoops because this is the FIRST time her big sis had ever read one of her fairy tale stories and reviewed... needless to say, Unleashed Soul was feeling pretty good* 

  Thanks!

 *Looks at her other reviewers and realizes that she was being so terribly rude and since they were so nice to review she gave them each an ice cream cone with double scoops as well.*

  I love you guys!!

  Thanks for reviewing again Princess... Glad to see you're keeping up with this story too! To answer you question, I am currently living in a Spanish speaking country. Yes there is a reason an Angel always appears in my stories (though I have yet to figure out what that reason is) and I'm gonna say marc is around 22 or 23 years old...

 *Smiles widely, she reaches into the freezer to pull out some ice cream for herself  but instead picks up a small furry rodent*

  _SQUIRREL! ....*Growlz* _

  *Looks at aznchick and hope she follows through with the promise of giving **_me an ice cream cone*_**

°*°

  Marc stood out on the balcony of a very old, forgotten and apparently enchanted castle. It was rather small and humble and Marc supposed it was owned before by a duke of some sort considering the papers, pictures and items he had found in this place. To Marc, the castle was a part of heaven he was denied because of his birth. If a king was offered a place like this he would turn up his nose and deny it. Though to Marc, who was born and raised in a small, cold house that had only three rooms total. He even had to share a room with his parents. They had a small kitchen and small living/dinning area. 

  Marc chuckled slightly as a breeze blew past him. The beginnings of winter had approached and only a month ago such a breeze would have frozen him to the core, but today, his thick fur blocked it from touching his skin. He breathed in the fresh air and then exhaled. He wondered if it was a good thing, or a bad thing, that this... curse? blessing? came upon him. 

  He no longer needed to work, no longer needed to worry about other people, no longer had to sleep on a cold floor with a cloth – for such a thin fabric should never be called a "blanket" – and curled in a ball to keep warm. He was a king here! He ruled over this place, it was _his castle. But of course there was the curse of his looks. But it wasn't like anyone was going to see him, right? Well, no one except the lame, mute-deaf. _

  The boy, as if he knew he was being thought of, hobbled into the room and looked up at the man he feared so greatly. The boy was perhaps twelve years old, if even that – Marc had no way of discovering his age considering the boy couldn't actually tell him. Neither Marc nor the boy could read or write so their only way of communication was to point, nod or shake one's head, or – the case of Marc – glare and growl. 

  He growled now. 

  At first he thought it silly to growl at a boy who could not hear it, but the boy seemed to always know when Marc was growling or not. 

  The boy shot him a wicked glance but looked quickly away, afraid of this monster. He hobbled over to the table that sat just inside the balcony, shivering from the cold, quickly laid down the pitcher of warm milk. Marc didn't know where the lad found the means to keep them alive, but it seemed that this young boy – he never learned his name – was better at taking care of himself and apparently someone else, than Marc was. Marc shrugged it away as if it meant nothing, in truth, though, it hurt him. His pride felt the pain of having a child, a mere child, take care of him.

  One of the lad's legs was longer than the other and on the shorter leg his ankle was ill-formed and he had to limp everywhere he went. Marc wasn't sure if the lad felt any pain with it or not, but he knew that the boy was extremely strong. 

_Marc__ woke from blackness to see only more blackness greeting him. He moaned – or growled – deep in the back of his throat. The noise of it scared him. It was deep and hoarse. He heard more footsteps coming towards him .They weren't the steps of an overgrown monster like he had heard... an hour ago? a day ago? a year ago? It didn't matter; whoever was coming towards him could cause him no harm. _

_  He saw two small feet, those of a human, he supposed, though one foot was in an odd position – whoever it was walked on the side of his foot! Lots of sticks fell down around __Marc__, he guessed this person, this boy – for he was wearing pants and no shoes – had been gathering firewood. __Marc__ growled when some sticks fell on his back and head._

_  He shook the memory from his head, or really what he could remember of it. After that everything got kind of blurry. He remembered the boy helping him to his feet, for some reason his body felt so much heavier. The boy helped him walk, though it was odd for the boy seemed to need help himself. The next thing he knew he was sitting in front of a warm fire, eating some sort of food though he did not know what, and soon drifted off to sleep. _

  That was a month ago. 

  Now this "quiet" lad with no name practically took care of Marc, though Marc sensed so much fear within the boy. He never understood for a moment why the child had saved him, but really, he didn't much care either.

°*°

  Beauty took another step, and then another, and then another. 

  _Just one foot in front of the other, she thought. But in order for her to place "one foot in front of the other" she had to think about it, plan it, and then struggle to move it. She was tired and she knew it. She couldn't keep going on like this!_

  Her horse died, or she thought it did, she wasn't really sure. She didn't really remember. She didn't really care. Her life was gone now; it died back there beside Angel. She still saw his face covered in blood, his eyes as the life began to fade away...

  The way he looked half an hour before he died, his beautiful face was glowing with his youth. And then, right before he died, the pained looked he wore. And then after he died. His lifeless eyes staring up at her... 

  _"I love you, Teresita." In her hesitance, in her cowardice she never said the words that he needed to hear in return. _

  _He died never knowing, it tore her apart inside. All this time she was right, she was __right! He did love her! But there was a __chance that he didn't, this small, but very important thing kept her from confessing to him the words that he should have heard, the emotions that he should have known! _

  She fell to the ground on her knees and held back the tears. She would not cry, she was Teresa, and the daughter of Teresa Leah, she would _not cry! So she held all her tears, sobs and wails inside of her, not understanding that that was hurting her worse then anything else._

  Footsteps. She heard footsteps! 

  She looked behind her and saw a young lad holding sticks. His large blue eyes were wide with worry. The sticks fell to the ground and he quickly hobbled over to her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

  "What are you doing out here?" she asked the young boy. She glanced around to see if he was alone, surely enough he was. "Why are you alone? Where are your parents?" 

  The boy just stared at her for a moment, then tried to help her stand. She felt rather silly; a child was trying to save her! A lame boy was trying to help her to walk! She smiled and stood up, taking hold of his hand and picking up some of the sticks he dropped, she let him lead the way. 

°*°

  "Where is that boy!" Marc asked allowed, he had no one else to speak to him so he normally spoke to simply hear a voice. "He should be here, he never leaves. Stupid lad!" 

  Marc paced about the room, glancing out the window every now and then to see if he could spot the kid. 

  "Damn boy, its getting cold in here." He said looking towards the empty, black fireplace. He began to pace some more. Winter was fast approaching and he predicted snow would be soon to fall. 

  A deep, low growl erupted from his throat. 

  He glanced out the window once more and saw "the kid" walking towards the castle. Marc stopped and stared at him – or who was with him. She was a beautiful young woman, dark chocolate hair, pale skin – he couldn't see the color of her eyes from so far off nor the shape of them. Her body though, he noted, was very beautiful. 

  He growled again. He didn't want her to see him! She would be frightened, or worse, she would laugh at him. Say that he looked like a monster or a beast. He shook his head... no, she wouldn't get the chance to see him... or laugh at him.

°*°

  She held her breath as the young boy – she guessed he was mute – pushed on the door and it opened a crack. The boy slid through and pulled Beauty along behind him. She slowly, cautiously, followed. She had been inside of several castles at different events. Most of the time she looked so angelic... Angel...

  She sighed, swallowing her tears. 

  This castle was different then anything she had ever seen before in her life. It was old, it had a bad smell to it and was apparently abandoned. 

  _Was the boy a runaway? __Did he live here all alone?_

  A low sounding growl answered her second question...

***

So... What did you think? _Review me and tell me!!!_

_***_

My wonderful big sister, the greatest artist, techbaby, drew some pictures for this story. Remember to review her!

She has promised not to run over any more squirrels (purposely) if you review her  ;)

If you want to see pictures for this story check out these links:    (copy and paste the link):

http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/view.php?id=119992   (Cover Art)

http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/view.php?id=120006   (Picture of the mute child)

http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/view.php?id=120011    (Picture of Beauty standing in the doorway)

REMEMBER TO REVIEW HER! PLEASE!

Thanks! and don't forget to review me too!!!

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	3. Chappie 3

An: *Unleashed Soul Gives Mary F. Sunshine an ice cream cone and a cookie because she reviewed me so many times (even though it was by accident *mutters*) and pretty desperate for the ice cream*  
  
*Notices that squirrel isn't happy with her carrot she hands the rodent a cookie*  
  
"No, Squirrel! Just one!!... owf..."  
  
*sits on the floor where she had landed and wonders how Squirrel got out of those chains. Glares at Squirrel whilst the tiny (needless to say hungry) future ruler of the world shoves several cookies into its Squirrelly mouth*  
  
"How do you fit so many cookies in there?!"  
  
Thanks to all my reviews I really hope you enjoy this chappie!  
  
°*°  
  
Beauty turned quickly to see a shadow run past. She couldn't make out the shape of it, or the size either considering a shadow can make even a spider seem like a giant.  
  
"Who is there?" She asked in a demanding voice. She could feel her heartbeat quicken.  
  
No answer came.  
  
She looked down at the child standing beside her. He looked up at her not fully understanding anything. Beauty took hold of his hand and knelt down beside him.  
  
"Can you hear me?"  
  
The boy simply stared at her. His big blue eyes staring in to her green- blue ones. She nodded and stood up once more. Looking around her new surroundings she heard another low growl and realized that if she stayed the night here, either she would go insane with worry, or would die of fright... or worse.  
  
The little boy pulled her arm and they walked down a long narrow hall. Beauty looked at the pictures that hung on the walls and a few of the statues as they walked. She had no idea who might have owned this place or where this place was for that matter. She had walked along ways from where Angel had... from where it happened. Her horse died of something; be it starvation, thirst, cold, heat or exhaustion; Beauty cared little. Three days ago if her horse had died she would have cried, but then again, why would she cry for a horse and not the man she loved? It puzzled her, to be sure, but still she refused to cry.  
  
She sighed at her own thoughts before sitting down at the table as the boy instructed with a wave of his hand. Beauty watched him walk away from the room and only moments later return with a soup of some kind and a hot drink. She looked at him curiously as he took a second bowl and walked away.  
  
°*°  
  
He growled low in his throat when the boy entered. The child stopped a moment, as if he could hear the growl, but then he moved to lay the bowl of soup on the table. Marc began to wonder if he had been wrong, he wondered if the boy was not really deaf. But what would be the point of hiding it? He sighed and growled again as if to tell the boy that he should not have brought the girl in. The kid turned and looked at Marc, then left the room.  
  
Marc looked at his soup for a moment before walking out onto the balcony. He looked down, knowing that below him, perhaps it was two floors down, was the girl. Curiosity got the best of him and he began to crawl along the wall down towards the window. She had been on the first floor, as he suspected, eating soup. He watched the way she ate and guessed that she was some sort of noble woman. He didn't like that idea.  
  
The boy walked back into the room and took the girl's hand and led her up a few stairs. Marc growled, he knew the only rooms that where on the second floor were full of beds. The boy was going to give the girl a room!  
  
Marc slipped in through the window and followed the child and the noblewoman, for he was sure that was what she was, up to where the boy introduced her to the room. It was the second room from the stairs and one of the smaller ones. Marc waited until the boy was out of sight, probably gone off to eat his own dinner, before creeping up to the door and listening.  
  
°*°  
  
Beauty looked around.  
  
Great, looks like I'm stuck here. She thought for a moment longer and wondered if that was such a bad thing. She had a warm bed, food in her stomach and in the morning she would be able to bathe. She frowned at her own pessimistic thoughts.  
  
She plopped down onto the bed and sighed as dust floated up around her. She quickly moved up and pulled the top blanket off the bed and tossing it to the floor. She could sleep on a hard floor or a dirty ground but as long as she could help it she refused to sleep in a dusty bed! She fixed the bottom covers, which had been protected from dust and arranged them to her liking.  
  
Beauty had abandoned all her belongs when her horse died, common sense hadn't kicked in to tell her to lift her bag about her back and carry it. She mentally kicked herself now for it. What was she to wear to bed? What was she to wear in the morning? She shrugged her shoulders and plopped on her bed, deep in thought and trying to plan things out. When nothing came to her mind, Beauty sat up and looked around her room. There were pictures on her wall; one was of an old woman, sitting in a rocking chair, her white- silver hair pulled up into a tight bun. The expression on her face was stern and it reminded Beauty of her schooling days, one of the teachers, a strict and mean lady wore that expression! Beauty shivered.  
  
Another picture hung on the wall. A painting from someone's imagination. It was a picture of two children playing games on a bridge. The little boy in the picture reminded beauty of the mute child. He had blond hair that was falling into his crystal blue eyes, carefree and childish. The children in the picture don't seem to notice the danger of playing on the old bridge. A little girl with the same color hair is leaning against the broken and shaken railing while the boy is reaching for some flowers that are slightly out of his reach. Beauty stared at the picture for a moment longer and noticed something in the background. It was almost invisible but if you looked at the picture long enough you could see a third person... a person with long golden hair tied in a braid down the back, blue eyes watching carefully over the children, a small smile planted on the beautiful face. White fluffy wings stretched out to reveal that this third person was truly and angel sent to watch over the children. Beauty felt the lump in the back of her throat, felt the tears prick at her eyes, but she pushed it all away. She would not cry!  
  
She turned towards the bed and glanced once out the window, then crawled under the blankets in search of a warmth that she knew she would not find there. She knew that cold and empty feeling was from the inside. If she had thrown herself into a pit of flames she would still feel the iciness of her broken heart.  
  
°*°  
  
After realizing that he had no idea what he was supposed to be listening to, considering the fact that this girl had no one to speak to, Marc quickly headed outside and peak in at her through the window. He felt like a creep at first, peering through a woman's window, but it didn't stop him. He saw her, once again her back to him and staring up at a painting that hung on the wall. Marc really didn't care about the painting; he didn't even give it a second look, he watched as she turned towards the bed, glancing towards the window before climbing beneath the covers and heaving a heavy sigh.  
  
He moved away from the window and crawled back up towards his own room. He noticed a sad look on her face, he wondered a bit about her story; she had to be a noble woman by the way she walked, ate, sat and moved. But what was a noble woman doing here? And why was a noble woman, or any woman for that matter, wearing pants?  
  
He growled again in frustration before picking up his bowl of soup and drinking it. It was cold, he noticed, but it didn't bother him.  
  
He moved to his bed, several furs placed on it after the softness of a mattress became too terribly uncomfortable for him. He curled himself up into a ball and fell into a dreamless sleep.  
  
°*°  
  
Beauty opened her eyes before the sun peeked over the trees. Realizing that she was no longer in her own room she began to panic, but then everything came rushing back to her and she remembered. She remembered Angel; his death.  
  
Slowly she crawled from her bed. She slipped on her boots (she had slept in her clothes) and cloak and then tiptoed out of the room, down the stairs and out the large door. She didn't know where she was going, or even why she was leaving, all she knew was she couldn't sit there in that room. Not alone, not without anyone trying to take her mind from Angel. But then she wondered if she really wanted her mind to be taken from him.  
  
She didn't want to remember his death, but what about his life?  
  
She shivered as she walked out of the gates and into the very cold forest. She didn't feel the cold though; she didn't feel anything at that moment. Well except for the pain, fear, anger and hatred that flooded throughout her veins.  
  
She didn't see the snow when it began to fall, didn't feel the sting when it landed on her skin or dampened her clothes. Her hair came loose from the barrette that she had the top pulled back in and it fell into her face. The only thing she could see was Angel and the look in his eyes as the life slipped from him. The only thing she could feel was the feeling of being used by the man she despised more then anything, the pain of losing the only man she would ever love.  
  
She slipped as the coldness made the ground slick and fell down a small hill, tumbling slightly and landing in a small, slow moving creak. She stood up spitting out the muddied water from her mouth coughing the freezing water from her throat. She wrapped her arms around her body feeling lonely and suddenly, as if waking up from one nightmare and into another, she realized she was cold and standing knee deep in freezing water.  
  
She looked around herself and wondered how it was that she got here. It was still the earliest hours of the morning and the sun had not yet peaked over the dead trees. She didn't see the road anywhere and figured she must have fallen from it in her dazed walk. She saw the snow falling and realized if she didn't get out of the water and dried, she might freeze to death.  
  
She began to slowly climb back up the steep hill, using roots for support, and realized that there had been no road at all. It was an old Indian path that she had been following, not that it mattered much to her. She followed it for perhaps half an hour longer before her toes went completely numb and her body ached from shivering. Her lungs hurt from the cold inhales and she was growing tired from walking. It wasn't long till she simply sat down on the old trail and wished someone would simply walk along it. She didn't care if they killed her or saved her, she just didn't want to be left alone anymore.  
  
She felt a lump in her throat (she wasn't sure if it was fear or defeat) when she realized that no one would be traveling this old trail, if only she was on the main road! That was her only chance and she knew it. She stood up once more; the snow coming down quicker now and it was beginning to blind her. She had to find the main road; she could only pray that someone would happen to be traveling on it at this time of morning.  
  
Her legs soon went numb and she left the trail and followed a different one, letting her feet guide her, hoping and praying that she could get through this. She didn't understand why she didn't just lay down and die, she wanted to; what did she have to live for anyways? But she couldn't find the courage.  
  
Tears of exhaustion and defeat formed in her green-blue eyes and she fell once more to her knees. It was over, her fingers and toes had no feeling at all left in them. Her feet and hands and legs were numb and tingly. Her lungs burned and her head swam.  
  
An odd "Snap" and a "Thud" came from somewhere to her left. She stood and walked towards it slowly. Her legs felt as though they would give way any moment.  
  
Her heart leapt when she saw the sight of a man leaning down over something. He wore a big fur coat. It was a man! It was her savior! She walked up towards him... half walking, half limping.  
  
"Sir... please..." She didn't know what to say or how to say it, all she knew was she had to get somewhere warm, dry and safe.  
  
Beauty stopped in her tracks though, when her "savior" turned to look at her. He wasn't a man at all... it was a... a beast! A large cat like creature slowly moved to get a better look at the newcomer and Beauty saw a deer lying on the ground, it was twitching and its eye moved to look at her. The deer was still alive! The Beast, still crouching down over its food, growled at her. Blood dripped down into his cat like mouth and down into his light grey fur.  
  
Beauty could only stand there. She watched him, shaking, wanting to scream, wanting to run away, but not finding the strength to do either. She began to shake more forcefully and felt the vomit rising in her throat. Her body convulsed, she fell to her knees and vomit fell from her blue lips before she fell to her side, unconscious.  
  
°*°  
  
*Unleashed Soul walks into the room to see tech_baby5 (her big sister) muttering and throwing pictures behind her while she slurps down another pot of coffee* YOUR SUPPOSED TO USE A CUP! *She realizes that her big sis (the artist tech_baby5) had been working hard on some more pics for this story. But also realizes that NO ONE reviewed her big sister's last postings!!!*  
  
*Thinks it must be some big mistake and realizes that perhaps you don't see the "submit" button on Miedaminer... (You have to scroll the page over to the right to see it) and knows that you will review her this time... Right?*  
  
I'll give you... a... a... hmmm, I've given Ice cream cones, cookies *glares at Squirrel*, a pink pony (last story)... I know, since its almost Christmas Ill give each of you a nice big turkey's dinner and a present! But only if you review my big sis!!!  
  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/view.php?id=126366 - Beauty's Fright  
  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/view.php?id=126370 - Beast ...and his dinner  
  
******I want reviews too!!!!!****** *gets on knees and begs* | | | | | V 


	4. 4

AN: Sorry this chapter took so long to get out, I was kinda swept off my feet by a handsome man and didn't think to update... I promise to start updating this again sooner. I just hope everyone who was enjoying this story is still interested and still alive : D lol.  
  
Also a little note, my sister just had surgery and wont be able to upload anymore pics for awhile. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed her... oh wait! lol silly me, no one reviewed her! haha...  
  
Thanks to all my reviewers.  
  
Hope yall enjoy this chapter.  
  
°*°  
  
Marc looked down at the girl's limp, unmoving body, then he turned and looked at his unfinished meal and even let the thought of finishing it cross his mind. He knew the girl would probably freeze to death before he was finished though. Her cloak was torn up pretty bad and it was thin... what was she doing out in such weather in those clothes?  
  
He sighed as he scooped her up in his arms, he lean forward slightly as he headed into the wind and towards the old, forgotten castle.  
  
The little boy stood at the door as Marc walked in carrying the woman. Marc growled deeply at the child and the small boy held out his arms like he would carry the girl up to the room. Marc growled again and walked past the lad and up the stairs towards the room.  
  
Ill never understand that kid, he thought to himself as he laid the brown haired girl down gently on the bed. He had thought about simply tossing her onto the bed, after all the mattress was very soft and it probably wouldn't hurt her, he wisely decided against it when the lame boy hobbled up next to bed and stared at the girl in deep concern.  
  
The little boy placed a palm on the girl's forehead and then turned and grabbed some extra blankets from a bottom shelf of an old wardrobe. Marc never even knew those where there. The boy threw the covers over the girl's shivering body and then limped hurriedly from the room. Marc watched him go. He was surprised how quickly that boy could move in his lame condition.  
  
Marc turned his attention back to the girl on the bed. She laid on the bed, still shivering and breathing heavily. He fixed the blankets so that they covered her better. The boy was only able to literally throw them on top of her. It didn't stop her shivering though. He jerked back when she sat straight up and said something in a mumbled and stuttered way that it was incomprehensible, she sneezed in his face before falling back onto the pillow. For a moment she lay still as death, but then she started shivering again.  
  
He growled at her again and wiped his fur.  
  
The boy rushed back in carrying a bowl of water a small towel and a cup of some sort of steamy liquid. He looked about frantically trying to figure out what to do. He looked up at Marc and tears streamed down from his big blue eyes and with those eyes he pleaded to Marc to help her.  
  
"What am I supposed to do?" he snapped. The boy cried harder and wiped the girls face with the dry cloth. "Fine ...move."  
  
Marc moved over to the side of the bed and pulled down the several blankets. Lifting the girl slightly in his arms he removed her wet cloak and then her boots and stockings. He threw them carelessly behind himself. He removed the remainder of her wet clothing except for her long shirt. Running the towel quickly across her arms and her legs, paying close attention to her feet and hands he covered her back up with the several blankets.  
  
He shook her gently, hoping to wake her so that she could drink whatever it was the boy brought up for her, but she moaned and only shivered more.  
  
Predictably, Marc growled at her.  
  
After he saw that she wasn't going to be doing anything else he walked from the room, the little boy close behind.  
  
The boy tugged at his waist and even pulled on his tail to get him to turn around and finish taking care of the girl, but he knew the only thing left to do was wait it out. He had seen several fevers before, from his siblings, friends and even his enemies where he grew up. Some lived, some died; it depended on that person's strength to overcome sickness without the aid of a doctor and their own desire for survival.  
  
The girl's life was in her own hands...  
  
°*°  
  
  
  
"Leave her alone!"  
  
"Get off of her!"  
  
Teresa looked around for Angel, she heard his voice, but where was he?  
  
Teresa was standing in an abyss, a black nothingness. She felt lonely, depressed and afraid. She could hear Angel screaming, he was right there! So close!  
  
Teresa heard herself screaming out, felt pain ache through her body and then felt great worry, but not worry of herself, worry for Angel.  
  
She could hear Angel moaning as if he was in some great pain.  
  
She felt Angel's rough hand against her smooth cheek heard him gasp in pain.  
  
But she couldn't see anything! It was all so confusing!  
  
"Stay... I love you, Teresita"  
  
And then she felt an emptiness so great it tore at her very soul. She screamed and screamed and tears ran down her cheeks and she sobbed and wailed for his death  
  
...but it was only a dream.  
  
Beauty stirred in her sleep, she desired to wake but could not find the strength. She sighed slightly, and then she smiled.  
  
Angel stood there in front of her, his long blonde hair tied in a braid down his back and his blue eyes smiling. He reached out a hand to her and she reached for it. But Angel was slowly drifting away. She ran towards him, she had to catch him!  
  
Her hand stayed in the air only an inch above his before his reached out and grabbed hers. His hand folded around hers and they looked up at each other and smiled. She would live happily ever after, after all.  
  
Even if they had to be happy in death, at least and at last, they were happy.  
  
Teresa felt something pulling other arm though. She struggled against it, struggled to get herself closer to Angel. She screamed at him to stop the invisible force from pulling her away. She screamed for him to save her. She pleaded and begged but it did little good.  
  
Soon she was torn from Angel's grasp...  
  
And he drifted farther and farther away...  
  
°*°  
  
"No!" The girl screamed as she sat up in the bed. Marc sat in the corner of the room and watched as the boy tried to push the warm cup into her hands. She had been asleep for close to three days and each day the boy had a fresh bowl of warm water by the bed and a cup of warm drink as well. When it got cold he would reheat it. He even forced Marc (Marc chuckled at the thought of the boy "forcing" him to do anything), to stay and help take care of the girl. Though Marc wasn't as devoted as the boy was, he did clean the girl's face with the warm water and cloth and maybe a few other small tasks that the lad had trouble completing.  
  
"No... Please no.... please...." The girl was now sitting up in bed rocking back and forth, her hands clutched into small fists and pushed tightly against her chest. She kept muttering and her voice sounded as if it would break, Marc waited for tears to fall from her eyes and was surprised when none did.  
  
The boy tried again to force the liquid into the girl's hands and then looked helplessly at Marc, pleading once again that Marc handle it.  
  
Do I look like some caring fool? - though instead of speaking those words he simply growled.  
  
Marc stood up and, keeping to the shadows, slipped out of the room.  
  
°*°  
  
"Where am I?" Beauty asked the blonde boy. He looked up at her and laid his hand on her forehead again, seeming satisfied he pushed the drink into her hands again and moved to sit beside her on the bed.  
  
Beauty helped him climb onto the bed, though she doubted he really needed the help, and then sipped at her drink. It was warm milk, she guessed with a touch of honey ...something else...  
  
She shrugged it off and looked around herself, trying to figure out where she was now. She realized she was back into the same room she started in and sighed.  
  
"And what is your name?" she asked the boy, though she got no answer. It didn't matter, she wasn't expecting an answer, she just wanted to hear someone speaking. "How old are you? Where are you from? Can you even here me?"  
  
The boy smiled slightly still staring up at her with big blue eyes.  
  
Beauty laid her hand on top of his head and tried half heartedly to smooth out his unruly hair. She realized that if it wasn't for this boy, she would probably be dead - which reminded her... How did she get back from the forest?  
  
She sized the boy up, seeing that he was lame she knew that there was know way he could have carried her back. She sat for a moment and tried her best to remember what happened.  
  
Walking out of the door and gate and along the road was something she could vaguely remember, or perhaps it was just filling in the blanks, but she did remember lying on the road and giving up...  
  
No, she had gotten up from that.  
  
She saw a man! That's it! The man must have carried her back.  
  
No, he wasn't a man.  
  
She remembered everything then... feeling wet, scared and alone, seeing the half dead deer looking up at her, and the creature eating from it... What creature was it? She had fainted, she knew... but why was she still alive?  
  
A growl from down the hall mad her stomach jump. She could feel the bile in the back of her throat again and began to shake in fear. She couldn't be in that thing's lair!  
  
The boy hurriedly jumped off the bed and ran out the door closing it behind him.  
  
Still shaking she stood up from the bed and realized that most her clothes were gone. Her long shirt was still on her and it was dry but gave little warmth, she wrapped one of the blankets around herself and looked around. She didn't really want to leave the room, not without knowing what would great her when she got to the hall or beyond. A low fire burned in the fireplace and she moved toward it. She noticed off to the side of the room a large wardrobe.  
  
She stood to the side and opened it slowly, almost afraid that some monster would jump out and attack her, then peaked in and saw several long gowns. She moved to have a closer look and moved some of the dressing, hoping to find something a little more simple, but all the dresses where elegant and rather old fashioned. She pulled one out, a deep hunter green dress with lace along the bodice; it seemed fashioned for an older woman. She frowned at it; the size wouldn't fit her. She saw a black dress with lace along the high neck and some how remembered it.  
  
Maybe in a past life? ...No, what a silly thought!  
  
She glanced around the room once more and saw the picture of the old and strict looking woman; the woman was wearing the same dress.  
  
Beauty sighed, not only was the woman far taller then her (which became obvious by the clothing), the old lady's waist was far too thin and her bust too large. Beauty didn't fit that description and realized that she would need to look elsewhere for clothing. She returned the dress to its wardrobe and, pulling the blanket tighter around her body sat once again next to the fire.  
  
She sat up straight and stared in disbelief and fear as her door swung open and a large, cat like creature stood there, staring back at her...  
  
°*°  
  
Let me know what you think and review me!!!! 


	5. Chapter 5

°*°  
  
Marc walked into the room and saw the girl sitting next to the fire, he thought about speaking to her, thought about scaring her to death, but instead he simply growled at her. He smiled at the expression on her face. She looked absolutely terrified!  
  
She swallowed and was still shivering forcefully; Marc guessed she wasn't from the cold anymore. She simply stood there, looking up at him through tangled hair. She had a blanket wrapped about her body and her long brown hair fell down around her shoulders. She was ghost pale.  
  
Marc saw the little boy hobble in, guessing the kid "heard" (for that was the only way Marc could describe it) his growl. The boy saw the terrified look on the girl's white face and hobbled over to her. The girl crunched down and held onto the boy, as if Marc would want to hurt him.  
  
Marc growled again and held out his furry hand.  
  
"Come here, boy," he said as the boy reached his own hand out for Marc's. The lad, seeing that the paw was bidding him took hold of Marc's hand and walked over (or was pulled over) and shoved behind the large creature.  
  
"You... you speak? ...I mean, you... you're a..." Beauty stuttered watching the beast stand there, the boy stood behind him glaring at him angrily and pulling on his tail to get back around him. Beauty watched as the boy struggled to get back beside her but this creature held him back simply enough by blocking the way with his tail or leg. "What do you want from me?"  
  
She asked it so meekly and it was obvious how afraid she was. The boy must have sensed it too because Marc was having difficulty keeping the lame boy from getting to her.  
  
"...how?..."  
  
How long can she stutter! Marc thought for a moment and his answer came quite quickly when the girl quit stuttered, shaking and looking scared. She bent down back into a crouch and opened up her arms towards the boy.  
  
"Just let the boy go!" she said and reached out to wrap the boy into a hug, but Marc once again moved his leg in front of the child to stop it from heading towards the girl.  
  
"What?" he said sarcastically. "Are... are you... I mean... are you afraid I'll hurt him?"  
  
The girl looked up at him, anger and embarrassment showed on her face. He knew she wasn't used to being mocked.  
  
"I..."  
  
"You what?" Beast said chuckling.  
  
"You're such a beast!" she yelled reaching past him and grabbing the boy by the arm to pull him to her.  
  
"A beast am I?" He yelled back and pulled on the boy's other arm back towards himself.  
  
"Let the poor lad go!" the girl yelled pulling the boy back towards herself.  
  
"Wh... why... why would I ...I do that?" he said pulling the kid back and laughing slightly.  
  
The girl growled and pulled the child back towards herself.  
  
Her growl made Marc howl with laughter before growling back at her, as if to show her how it was done.  
  
"You need to learn some manners!"  
  
"What does a beast need with manners, girl?"  
  
"Don't call me 'girl'!" the girl yelled even louder, getting angry. Her face was turning red.  
  
"What should I call you? Do you prefer 'Woman'?"  
  
"I would prefer you not address me at all!"  
  
All whilst they argued they pulled on the mute child's arms.  
  
Marc looked at her for a moment, he couldn't come up with a come back! So he simply growled at her. He laughed loudly when she growled back.  
  
Marc pulled on the boy's arm again back towards himself, but the girl would not give up. She probably hated to lose as much as he did.  
  
"Let the lad go or I'll... I'll bite you!"  
  
"I'll bite back!" she snapped as she grabbed hold of both the boys' arms and slipped them from Marc's grasp.  
  
Marc stared at the girl for along moment.  
  
Did she just say she would bite me? he didn't know if he wanted to laugh at her or actually bite her.  
  
"You are the most...-" what was the word...  
  
"I'm the most what?" she said as she held the boy who was hugging her waist.  
  
I need a word... any word... think, think, think!  
  
He couldn't think so he simply growled and turned and stomped from the room.  
  
°*°  
  
Beauty watched after him for a moment. She sighed a heavy sigh of relief when he walked out of the room.  
  
Where did I get courage like that from? She wondered as she wrapped her arms around the boy and lifted him to the bed.  
  
"Aren't you a brave lad!" she said looking on his wrists for any marks. She was relieved to see none and surprised that she had actually pulled the poor kid's arm over and over again. "Sorry about that, Sweetie."  
  
She doubted the boy could hear her, but that didn't matter; she had to apologize for her immaturity.  
  
"Hey, I need some clothes." she said matter-of-fact. She pulled on her long shirt and made a gesture with her other hand of wear to find more clothes. The boy hoped from the bed and opened the wardrobe but Beauty was already shaking her head. She showed him that the dresses wouldn't fit and he, pulling her by the arm, showed her a few different rooms where women had lived and she finally found one dress that would suit her.  
  
The bodice fit her well, low cut and was light blue. The skirt was flared slightly and was a very dark shade of navy. The dress was of velvet (Beauty was thankful for that because of the cold) and it was trimmed in satin. She found a brush and re-brushed her hair and also found an old barrette to pull her hair up into. She glanced into the mirror and nodded at her reflection, it would do.  
  
°*°  
  
Marc walked back and forth in his room and wondered what he was going to do.  
  
No, he couldn't make her leave or she would freeze to death.  
  
No, he couldn't avoid her the entire winter.  
  
No, he couldn't somehow magically transport her to a different place (or plane of existence).  
  
No, he couldn't kill her.  
  
Though all those things had crossed his mind, the boy would protect her with his very life and Marc knew it.  
  
He growled in frustration and then in annoyance when the boy walked in. The little boy smiled up at him in a cheerful way and Marc wasn't sure what to make of it. Normally the boy seemed rather scared of him.  
  
He looked at Marc as if to size him up then nodded and walked over to wear the big creature stood. Marc looked down at the child and growled again. The boy, not paying attention to him took his hand and started walking back towards the door, though the boy wasn't able to pull Marc anywhere nor did Marc have any attention of going anywhere.  
  
The boy turned to a different position to better try and pull Marc and then another position but all proved useless.  
  
"Let me go, Kid." he growled and pulled his arm away. He turned his back to the direction the boy was pulling him in, the direction to the door.  
  
The child grabbed at his hand again but Marc pushed him back and winced when he heard the boy fall. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the boy was okay, sure enough the kid stood up on his unsteady feet and grabbed at Marcs tail and began to pull. He pulled until he was leaning back on only his heals.  
  
At first Marc could feel tension in his lower back but soon, after the boy tugged and pulled, Marc began to feel pain. He growled dangerously and when the boy didn't let him go he turned and snapped at the kid, giving something that almost sounded like a roar.  
  
The boy let go and stepped back away from Marc, he pouted and limped towards the door. He turned once more and stuck his tongue out at Marc before slamming the door and hobbling back down to the dinning room where Beauty sat eating.  
  
Marc growled at himself now before walking towards the door and following behind the child to the dinning room.  
  
°*° 


	6. chapter 6

**_******Hello people!! Check out the note at the end for a surprise..^_^.._**

°*°

  Beauty sat and ate her chicken, side of vegetables and drank her milk. She was almost finished when the boy came hobbling into the room. She looked at him in curiosity to the pouty expression he wore. He simply smiled at her after a moment of pouting and plopped in a chair beside her. She offered him the rest of her chicken that she just couldn't possibly eat. He declined and patted his tummy to say that he had eaten. Beauty looked at him once more with a puzzled expression, she didn't know where he found the time to cook, eat and serve the Beast and now her! 

  She scooped up a spoon of pudding and offered it to him, he did accept this. He ate the pudding and smiled even more when she gave him the rest of it. 

  A low growl sounded behind them to show that they had another person entering the room. Beauty turned to regard him and found him far less scary, but still very, well, what would the word be? Strange? Different? Well whatever, she couldn't seem to keep her eyes from him. He moved closer to the table to see, once again, a very cheerful young boy.

  "What's he so happy about," he said moving closer to where food was on the table.

  "Not you," Beauty said her eyes never leaving the furry creature.

  "Someone is apparently," said the Beast. Beauty glared at him for a long moment. 

  "And why would you think that?" 

  "Come, come. You haven't taken your eyes off of me since I came into the room."

  "Who could?" Beauty said, one would say she glared at him again though since she had not stopped her first one perhaps it would be said that she glared deeper.

  The Beast growled.

  He looked at the food sitting on the plate on the table directly across from Beauty. The lad sat next to her smiling cheerfully, not seeming to realize the two of them were falling in loath with one another.

  "What's wrong?" she asked, smiling sweetly. "Too well done for your taste?"

  "Well, actually yes it is," the Creature said with an evil grin. "I do prefer raw."

  "You mean still breathing?"

  "Exactly." The Beast smiled when he said this.

   Beauty opened her mouth to say something different until she caught the look on his face. She looked away suddenly realizing she was digging herself a very deep and dangerous hole. She looked back at him, determined not to let him intimidate her, though really he was doing a very good job of it.

  "What happened to his parents?" Beauty asked, changing the subject and looking towards the little boy. 

  "What do you think happened," the Beast asked while he swallowed down a piece of the chicken.

  "You're not supposed to eat the bones!" Beauty said amazed by the way he ate. 

  "Oh by all means! Please! Educate _me on how to eat __properly so I can remember to put a napkin on my lap before I eat my next kill."_

  Beauty glared at him for a moment, sighed and shook her head, unable to think of anything to say. She sat and stared at him as he ate and was appalled by the _way_ he ate! 

  "Do you find me attractive?" the monster asked while he had food hanging from his mouth.

  He didn't know what to make of the sweet smile that came on her face; well it would have been sweet if he didn't seem to know she had something up her sleeve.

  "You're just so adorable! Like a big kitten!" she said, her mouth dropped open and she said in an almost ridiculous voice; "Can I pet you?"

  The Beast stared at her for a moment. She didn't know if she should laugh at the look on his face or be scared of what was to come. 

  Seeming speechless he stood up and stalked from the room, muttering words that Beauty could not hear.

  "Awe, here kitty, kitty, kitty!" she called after him and smiled to herself in triumph. 

°*°

  _Like a big kitten? Who does she think she is! _

  Marc growled low in his throat and stalked back and forth in front of his balcony. He had already knocked over the table in more frustration then anger. She really hadn't _angered him just frustrated him. _

  _Why didn't I say something to her! Why didn't I ... say anything!_

  A thousand comebacks came into his mind now...

  ... _now that it was too late._

  He growled again. 

  Only a few minutes passed by when a very cheerful little boy walked into his room. He glared at the kid. 

  "Why are you so cheerful?" He asked.

  The boy smiled and walked over to the fallen table; placing it back onto its legs correctly he climbed up and sat on it. 

  "Expecting to stay now, are we?" Marc said and he leaned against his wall. "What are you smiling about anyways?"

  The boy, tucking his legs beneath him simply sat smiling, then nodding towards the closed door (obviously towards the girl who was probably in her own room at the moment). 

  Marc growled and the boy's grin grew larger then Marc thought possible.

  "I am hungry," Marc said rubbing his stomach and saying every word very slowly. "I am going to go find something to eat," he gestured to outside. "You go off and play with the pretty girl, okay?" this time he reached over and lifted the boy up by the back of his shirt and carried him to the door. 

  He put the child gently on his unsteady feet and looked him over for a moment before beginning to shove the kid gently out the door. 

  The little boy shook his head several times and hugged Marc around the waist and struggled to get back into the room. He apparently wasn't ready to go yet. 

  Marc gave a little bit of a stronger shove and was surprised when the boy fell to the ground; he hadn't pushed him that hard! He realized that it was the boy's intention to fall as the lad crawled under his legs and back into the room. The boy sat on the floor and hugged the table leg and shook his head to show that he was staying right here!

  Marc growled.

  The boy stuck out his tongue and then, after Marc once again leaned against the wall, climbed back onto the table and sat comfortably. He nodded again in the direction of the brown haired girl and this time, to Marc's horror, the boy winked.

  _What in the nine hells is that supposed to mean!_

  The boy looked to Marc with an expression as to if the large cat-man felt the same way.

  "No! She is the worst... most... why am I explaining this to a deaf kid... no!" he said shaking his head and once again lifting the boy up and taking him from the room. He closed the door and slipped out his window to find some dinner.

°*°

  Beauty sat next to the warm fire and glanced out the window just in time to see a large creature running across the field and out towards the woods. Beauty shivered at the thought of what he was about to do. 

  She stood up and walked out of the room and decided it was time to explore the castle.

  So with a small, blonde haired guide, she was taken her tour around the small castle.

°*°

**A/N**  :  ok, not really THE author…this is **techbaby**..lil sis has asked me to finish posting the remaining chapters of this story for her.  

Now for the surprise I promised you…the reason our Unleashed Soul is so uumm…_distracted_…here lately is cuz…

SHE GOT ENGAGED!!! Mr.Romeo Lover-Boy has popped the question!!!!  

So currently all she wants to talk about is what kind of hideous Brides Maid dress she's gonna shove me into....hee hee hee.

 But she did promise I could still wear my combat boots.  And with her currently living in Guatemala, well, think about it…ALL THAT COFFEE!!!! I'll be in coffee heaven!!!!  I could die a very happy woman.

  **sniff** **sob**…my baby sister _thinks_ she's all grown up now…**sob**


	7. chapter 7

**_A/N_**_:: Hello Readers, techbaby standing in for Unleashed again…..there will be sketches for the next few chapters posted over at www.mediaminer.org, you can find the link on previous chapters…..thanks bunches!_

°*°

  Marc come back that evening and heard giggling out in the back. He had climbed the wall to his balcony and glanced out of it but saw nothing. He climbed back out to the wall and around towards the back to where he saw the brat and the girl. He climbed down and stood behind them and the boy was the first to notice him. 

  He smiled happily when he saw him and hurried next to him, grabbing his hand he pulled Marc towards the spot where the girl was standing.

  Marc pushed the boy away and growled.

  "You sure do growl a lot," the girl said as she held her hand out to the boy. The lad, of course, took it and walked back over to her. "What do you call him? I haven't been able to figure out what his name is.

  "Brat," Marc said, he thought about growling again but decided against it.

  "The boy needs a name!" the girl hissed and held the boy's hand protectively. 

  "Why? He can't hear it!"

  "Everyone needs a name!" the girl's face was growing red and Marc realized she had quite a temper.

  "Who cares about a name? You can't call him by it!" 

  The girl glared at him and looked down at the brat and smiled.

  "Fine, I'll call him Angel." she looked down at the boy like a mother would.

  "Angel? What kind of name is that!"

  "A nice one!" 

  "A girly one! You will not call that boy 'Angel'!"

  "I will call him anything I please, Beast!" the girl said crossing her arms over her chest.

  "Beast! Who do you think you are!" Marc said walking towards her dangerously. Still the girl stood with her arms crossed over her chest. 

  Marc felt a tug on the back of his tail and realized that 'Angel' was trying to keep him from ripping the girl's face off, which was exactly what he was thinking of doing. 

  "You're a... a..."

  "You have problems with words don't you? Why don't you just growl at me?"

  Marc did growl, and then he roared and lunged towards her with a roar.

  Angel still hung on to his tail and pulled sharply. Marc turned and snapped at him and when the girl saw this she lifted her hand in the air and slapped Marc across the face.

  "If you ever snap at him again...I'll... I'll..."

  "Bite me?" Marc said getting closer to the girl's face. 

  The girl snapped her teeth together like she would bite him before taking the boy by the hand and walking off.

°*°

  Beauty walked inside holding Angel by the hand. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, almost wanting to faint. She had never been so scared in all her life! She looked down at the boy and realized just how much he did resemble her Angel... 

  Her eyes began to water but she ignored it. She wouldn't cry.

  Angel, the lad, hugged her around the waist and they walked into the drawing room and sat on a big fluffy couch. She hugged him and leaned back, letting him fall asleep on her lap. She closed her eyes and her mind drifted back to that day in the woods. Back to the day she lost the man she loved.

°*°

  The next morning came and went and it was closer to noon the next time Marc saw either the girl or the brat. 

  He was surprised when the boy didn't bring him his breakfast and when the boy came in to give him his lunch Marc growled at him. 

  "Brat," he muttered. The boy looked up at him and looked back down at the table where he was arranging the plates and napkins and cups. Marc noticed, first that the boy had _never_ before set the table nor did he set it for _two_ people.

  Marc gave the boy a surprised look.

  The kid then pulled up two chairs and sat comfortably in one of them and began to eat his food. 

  "What are you doing?" Marc asked moving towards the table, but the boy didn't look at him, just ate.

  "Brat?"

  The boy simply ate.

  Marc growled.

  Still the boy sat eating.

  "Kid..." Marc said bending down and trying to look at the boy's face. "Angel?"

  The boy looked up at him then, and his face seemed to ask "yes?".

  "You can hear cant you, you little brat!" 

  The boy blinked at returned to his meal. When he realized Marc wasn't eating with him he pouted.

  "Don't even think about it." Marc said.

  His bottom lip began to shake and Marc's surprise the boy was doing his best to hold back tears. His mouth dropped open and, not really knowing what to do, pulled the chair around and sat in it. He huffed an annoyed sigh and put his elbows on the table.

  "Happy now?"

  The boy smiled at him and pushed Marc's plate closer so that the big cat creature might actually eat it. Marc sighed and took a bite of the cold sandwich. He was losing his appetite for such foods but ate them anyways until he could go and hunt. 

  He sat with the boy and ate in silence. Angel, as Marc knew he would from then on be called, smiled happily the whole time.

°*°

Review!!!!….pwease…..I'll share my coffee…eerrr…..no….I'll share Unleashed Souls cookies..^_^

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	8. chapter 8

Well, ok…I guess I (techbaby) will handle reviewer responses, too ^_^

Thanks bunches and oodles to Princess, I know you've been a faithful fan since Unleashed Soul first started posting!!

 BTW…cookies, cokies…I think Squirrel would eat them anyway….

 And thanks to Andiavas and Mystical Dreams for your latest reviews!! 

 Rest assured that I bug her (Unleashed Soul) constantly about finishing this story…I have up to chapter 14 on my PC, we worked on all this together, but she is so much better at writing than I am, I just gave her ideas and helped when she hit a "block".  I remind her every time I speak with her to finish it up, but, c'mon!!! She is with the Love of her life, she has wedding plans and what not to deal with (so far the date is narrowed down to December 2003)….I myself, her own flesh and blood, have not even gotten a chance to speak with her in over a week now…sigh…but I promise all you readers, this story will NOT be discontinued…...even if I have to fly on down to Guatemala myself and take her sweetie hostage for her to finish this story!!!  AAARRRGGGHHH!!!   Ok ok….calming down now…….^_^

Please keep checking in, I am trying to post a chapter a week for all of you, and I am still posting illustrations over at Mediaminer.org  (big thankies to Princess!!!) I know longer have a scanner, so there aren't to many left to post …L

If you have any questions,or have emailed Unleashed Soul and she hasn't sent a response, feel free to email me at techbaby5@yahoo.com

OK OK – enough for the annoying one….on wiff the story!!!……

°*°

  Angel walked down the hall with all the dirty dishes. He entered the kitchen and was surprised to see "Tee", as he called her. Or would have called her had he been able to speak. He smiled at her while he put the dishes into the sink. He left them there, not cleaning them and moved over to where Tee was cutting up one of the cotton dresses. She was using one of the kitchen knives to do it.

  Angel hugged her waist and remembered when he used to stand with his mother like that. Hugging her while she cooked. He missed his Ma. He couldn't speak but could hear just fine. Understanding words was so much harder for him though. He hadn't seen people since ...that day...

  _"Kyle, Kyle!" Called a woman with long blonde hair, she was perhaps the same height as Tee and the same build. Kyle, who was only perhaps four years of age, came hobbling up to her. She picked him up and carried him to the table where Bubby and Pa sat. _

_  Ma laid a plate of food down in front of Bubby and patted him on the shoulder. Then when she laid food in front of Pa she kissed his cheek. She then placed Kyle's food on the table and sat next to him and had to spoon feed him. _

_  Bubby and Pa would go out after lunch and cut down trees but Kyle had to stay there with Ma. He watched everything she did. He wished he could be more like Bubby._

_  Bubby was thirteen and looked just like Ma; he was able to help everyone. He didn't care that Kyle that couldn't run or play, Bubby played with him anyways! He and Ma taught Kyle how to count and learn different colors!_

_  Pa even seemed to like him, until that day..._

  "Angel?" Kyle looked up at Tee. "Come here." she said as she lifted him up and put him on one of the several empty work tables next to the window. She bent down and looked at his ill-formed ankle. He watched her as she put the cloth around it very lovingly. He smiled at her but deep inside he was hurting very badly... he missed his Ma.

  _Kyle couldn't believe it! Pa was taking him to go cut down trees! Just like he takes Bubby! Bubby was sick and was unable to go with Pa so Kyle got to go instead. His Ma looked a little worried but Pa gave her a kiss and she always smiled after a kiss from his Pa. Kyle was a very lucky boy!_

_  His Pa took him out to the woods and after watching Pa cut down lots of trees Pa turned and looked at him. Kyle didn't understand why Pa was crying. He had seen Pa cry once before when he was only two or three but he never understood why. _

  _Pa looked sad but he kept muttering words:_

_  "Life would be so much easier without you." and "Why did you have to be so crippled?"_

_  Kyle couldn't understand the words but remembered the word "crippled" and also a word called "mute" the last time he saw his Pa crying. Pa then did something that Kyle never expected, nor understood. _

_  Pa slapped Kyle across the face. He slapped him very, very hard and Kyle felt tears falling from his eyes. His father kicked him then and then turned and picked up the ax. _

_  Kyle didn't understand why his Pa was doing this to him, didn't understand what his Pa was even doing. He had never felt pain like that before. He did realize though that if he did get away Pa was going to hurt him more. So Kyle stood up and hobbled away as fast as his crippled feet could go._

_  He ended up hiding and when it grew dark time he fell asleep and when it grew light time he woke up and limped around looking for somewhere to go... _

_  That was when he found **this place!**_

  "There you go," Tee said looking up at him. He smiled again, his eyes coming from their distant look. He reached out his arms and she hugged him and he buried his head in her neck and cried. "Awe, what's the matter, Handsome?" 

  She hugged him while he sobbed and hiccupped and she even looked him over to make sure he wasn't hurting. 

  _Just like Ma used to do.  _

°*°

  Angel carried the tray of food up to "Kiddy". He never knew what to call him until the day Tee and he sat eating dinner. She was calling him to come back and said "Here Kiddy, Kiddy, Kiddy" so that must be his name! 

  He never minded taking care of Kiddy and bringing him food. He loved Kiddy very much. Even though Kiddy never played games with him or even paid much attention to him Kiddy never ever hit him! He never even said the word "Crippled" or "Mute" in a bad way. Just in a way that it was supposed to be said. Though Angel didn't know what either word meant he knew that they must be very bad words to make Pa do mean things to him. But Kiddy never hurt him, Kiddy is what his Pa should have been like... well, maybe a little less furry and scary looking.

  He laid the dinner on the table in front of the balcony, he didn't like sitting at this table because the breeze blew in and his cloak wasn't very warm, when he even wore his cloak. He didn't like it coz he tripped over it. 

  He liked sitting with Kiddy and eating food with him. That was fun. Kiddy would speak to him, and even though Angel didn't know what the words meant it didn't matter. He understood some of the words though, like "no" but when the big words came or words like "damn" he didn't understand it. He liked the way Kiddy greeting him with a deep sound. He wished he could make that sound!

  He sighed and placed the food on the table and pulled up his chair. 

  Kiddy growled and sat down.

  "Eating together again, are we?"

  Angel smiled up at Kiddy, yup, Kiddy loved him a lot! Just like his Pa should have. Kiddy spoke to him like he was a real person; his Pa never spoke to him...

°*°


	9. chapter 9

Techbaby here….again…for the absentee Unleashed Soul…..**grumbles**

I got good word from our mother dearest – Unleashed Soul has been working on finishing the story!!!  YYAAYY!!!…..and Unleashed Soul herself also sent me a note comfirming she has been working on the story….YYAAYY  YYAAYY

And as for Princess's question about the name "Angel", I asked Unleashed Soul 'bout that – she said "I dunno, I just like it", and now it has become a trend in her stories.

Big thanks to Shiara the Witch (great name btw), Yoshiki, Elissa the Elf and Indigo Ziona for the latest reviews!!!!

°*°

  "You think this is all funny, don't you?" Beast growled while Angel lay on the floor laughing so hard it hurt his sides. 

  Beast, as the girl had nicknamed him, was covered in chocolate pudding with a large wooden bowl sitting upturned on his head. The pudding had dripped from his kitty head and down his shoulders. 

  In trying to get Beast to try it the boy had climbed on top of the table and slipped. Beast was there to catch him and the bowl of pudding. Beast removed the bowl and tossed it to the floor and picked up the lad. 

  The boy, who had just started to calm himself down, burst into laughter again. 

  Beast couldn't help but smile; it was kind of funny...

  He carried the boy to the door by the back of his shirt again and laid the laughing boy outside the door. He didn't hear the boy get up to walk away for a few minutes and perhaps five minutes afterwards his door swung open again and the boy stood pointing at him, still laughing. 

  Beast growled at the girl who was being dragged in behind the boy. 

  "Hello to you too," the girl said before also laughing. 

  "Oh, just... shut up!" Beast said annoyed and picked up a cloth and tried to wipe himself off. Angel sat on the floor and laughed at the site of the large creature trying to wipe himself down. 

  "Here," the girl said as she walked over to him. She took the cloth from him and wiped down his fur in on his back where he had trouble reaching. 

  "I can do it myself!" Beast spat but the girl didn't let him turn and continued to clean out his fur. 

  For a moment he struggled but then gave it up and relaxed to the feel of the cloth's movements on his shoulders and back. 

°*°

  Beauty ran the cloth through his fur, out of curiosity she reached out and touched a clean spot and petted it with her hand. She wasn't surprised to feel soft and coarse fur. To her absolute surprise the Beast made a low sound, at first she thought he was about to growl at her but instead he purred. 

  "Don't you dare snap at me!"

  Beast looked at her for a moment; he didn't seem to know what just happened. 

  Beauty stood and looked at him back, his green cat eyes changed from not understanding to angry.

  "Don't you even start to yell at me!" Beauty said just as Beast was taking his breath. 

  So instead of yelling he growled.

  Beauty glared at him and walked towards the door where the boy was still sitting, but no longer laughing. Beauty turned around and threw the cloth back towards Beast; it hit him, of course, in the face. 

°*°

  Angel looked up at Tee's flustered face. He didn't understand why Tee and Kiddy didn't get along very well. They should love each other. How would he make them into a family if they didn't love each other?

  Angel wondered how he was going to fix things. He had to find a way to make the two of them fall deeply in love with each other and still love him too. He thought of a lot of things to do and smiled at himself while Tee walked him down the stairs.

  He would make them love each other, no matter what it took...

°*°

  To Angel's request Beauty waited at the table for her meal. She raised an eyebrow at the boy when Angel came walking into the room with Beast in hand. Beast sat at the table across from Beauty and glared at her.

  Angel smiled happily as he stood off to the side and watched the two of them sitting there. He smiled and nodded and hurried off towards the kitchen.

  "What has gotten into him?" Beauty asked watching the boy's happily limp towards the kitchen. 

  "How should I know?" Beast growled.

  "You spend more time with the boy, I just thought-"

  "Thinking isn't one of your strong points is it?" 

  Beauty glared at him again. She opened her mouth to say something but shut it when the boy came back in and laid their plates in front of them. Also, in front of them he laid a vase of red roses. Then hobbled from the room.

  "Oh my! Where did he find those?" 

  "Doesn't matter," Beast said as he began to pile food into his mouth, "I promised him I would eat down here tonight so that he would leave me alone, I don't care what he feeds us or places in front of us."

  Beauty rolled her green-blue eyes and began to eat her own food. 

  The candles, as if they had a life of their own, dimmed. 

  "Hear that?" Beast asked with a mouth full of food.

  "Hear what?"

  "Music?"

  Beauty opened her mouth to say what a silly idea that would be but she could also hear a very light, romantic sounding music... 

  Beast and Beauty stood and looked around but saw nothing. 

  Beast picked up the last of his food and popped it into his mouth then bent down and pulled a small lad out from under the table. 

  "Kid must know a thing or two about magic," he growled. The boy looked up at him and smiled, and shrugged his shoulders as if he had no idea of what was going on. 

  Beast growled at him and walked off.

  As soon as Beast had left the room the music stopped and the candles returned to their normal light. 

  Beauty looked down at Angel with a puzzled look. 

°*°

  "Does insanity run through your family or is that the Beast coming out in you?" Beauty asked while they engaged in another of their everyday oral combats. 

  Beast growled. 

  "You only growl when you can't think of anything to say," Beauty replied to his growl as she lifted another heavy piece of wood. Her head swam for a moment and she dropped the wood and fell to her knees.

  "What's wrong?" Beast asked, not moving from his spot against the wall. Beauty and Angel had taken over the job of cleaning out and rebuilding the indoor garden. Beauty was doing most of the hard labor.

  "I feel sick... I think I'm going to-" she didn't have a chance to finish her sentence as she ran off to the wall and vomited. 

  Beast raised an eyebrow to her and she turned and looked at him. 

  "Ugh, I think I must still have that cold." she said smiling at his face. He looked more curious then worried.

  "You been sick for awhile?" Beast asked as Beauty kicked dirt over the spoilt spot. 

  "My stomach has for the past few weeks, but you must admit I was out in that cold for far too long." 

  "Right," Beast replied and huffed a heavy sigh. He glanced over towards the boy. "Why am I out here?" 

  Earlier that day Angel nearly cried when Beast wouldn't help them in the garden. For some reason it seemed the lad wanted the three of them to do things together. Beast and Beauty had not eaten alone since the night they heard the music, instead the boy sat with them (not that either of them minded.). 

  "You're supposed to be helping us, I do believe." 

  Beast growled and left. 

It wasn't until a week later when Beauty realized that something was horribly wrong. She had gone a month without her monthly woman cycle. She had no idea of what this might mean, could she be more ill then having a simple cold. She sat in front of her fire and watched the flames do their elegant dance; she could have sworn she saw the image of her Angel in the fire. She sighed and gulped down her tears. She felt her stomach growing ill again and reached for her chamber pot.

There ya go..another chapter, you all know the drill…

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	10. chapter 10

Thanks to jbelle, R2D2Chick, Muah-Baby-Muah, elissa the elf, Shiara the Witch, Aria, Indigo Ziona and everyone else who has been keeping up with the story - techbaby

°*°

   Beast walked outside to the garden where Angel stood over the girl. She was kneeling next to the wall. 

  "Should I dig a pit there so you don't have problems with covering it up?"

  "Shut up," Beauty said and Beast could have sworn he heard a sob.

  Beast reached over and pulled the girl up on her feet and turned her to face him. 

  "You're not going to be vomiting all over _my castle and telling me to __shut up!" He held her by her shoulders and her feet did not touch the ground. He saw in her face, for a split second, that he scared her. But then her fear turned quickly to anger._

  "Let me go!" the girl said trying to squirm out of his grasp. 

  "What is the matter with you!" he demanded.

   The girl didn't answer him. She just glared at him. Beast got the idea and set the girl down onto her feet. 

  "I don't know," she admitted smoothing down her dress. "My stomach has just been ill. And if you _ever do that to me again you will regret it!" She said it in a whisper and Beast did not doubt she would try. Though trying and doing were different things entirely. Beauty stormed inside the house.  _

  Beast looked down at Angel who sighed and shook his head.

°*°

  Beauty knocked gently on the large brown door. She _really_ didn't want to do this. But she knew this was Beast's home and he would know where things might be. 

  Slowly she opened the door and peeked her head inside. 

  "I'm sorry," she whispered and Beast wouldn't have heard it if he didn't have such good hearing. 

  He looked over at her and raised his eye brow.

  "I didn't mean to upset you... I just..." she looked everywhere in the room except at the large cat like creature. 

  "Forget it," he said feeling suddenly awkward. 

  "Okay, so um... I was wondering if you knew where to find some flower seeds? Angel seemed to want some and insists they are here."

  "How am I supposed to know?" 

  "Well, like you said earlier, it is _your__ castle."_

  Beast glared at her for a moment then shrugged. Angel hobbled into the room and took the Beast's hand and began to drag the large creature to help in the search for the seeds.  

°*°

  Half an hour passed and the only thing that kept Beast from quitting was Angel's tears. He, of course, denied that fact though. He wasn't much help to anyone really, just standing in the same room that Beauty and the lad where in.

  Angel pointed for Beast and Beauty to look downstairs and to Beast's surprise and Beauty's horror, downstairs led to a dungeon and torture chamber.

 "I doubt they would be down here," Angel persisted and the three of them soon found themselves searching the dungeon for seeds. 

  Beast really looked more at the torture devices and the cells and something shiny in one of the prison cells caught his attention. 

  "What is it?" Beauty asked walking into the cell and a very convenient and extremely unrealistic breeze blew in and the prison's bar door slammed shut.

°*°

  It took a very long time for Beast to explain to Angel that the lad had to go find the key now. Angel nodded and hurried up the stairs and back towards the first floor of the castle. 

  "So now what?" the girl asked standing in the middle of the cell. 

  "We wait," Beast growled. He sensed the boy was behind this. 

  Beauty sighed and looked around for a clean place to sit or spot on the wall to lean against, after finding none she sighed again and simply stood there. Beast sat on the floor and leaned against the rusty bars. 

  "Think he knows where the keys are?" the girl moved over next to him and thought about sitting. She changed her mind however and stood watching him. 

  "He does, but I'll guarantee you he won't be back for awhile." He huffed.

  She sat down. 

  "By the way, my name is Beauty."

  "Beauty?" Beast asked looking her ridiculously

  "Well, no actually it's Teresa, but everyone used to call me Beauty," she mentally kicked herself, she talked too much. "What is your name?"

  "Beast," he growled.

  "What was it before I got here?" Beauty said smiling.

  "Before you got here I didn't need a name." 

  Beauty sighed and realized she wasn't going to get much of a descent conversation with him.

  "Has your head been hurting? or your throat?" Beast asked watching "Beauty's" hand rest on her stomach.

  "No, why?" 

  "You don't have a cold then," he murmured and leaned his head against the bars.

  "Is there a way I can see a doctor?" Beast looked at her for a moment, was she joking? He saw that she wasn't and sighed moving to look at her closer.

  "Tell me what you would a doctor," he said in an annoyed voice. He almost laughed at the look on her face. "I grew up with no doctor, as did my family, this is how you survive outside of being a rich bitch."

  "How dare you call me that!" 

  "Get over it," Beast sighed leaning again against the bars.

  "Okay, I um... I haven't had my, well you know, my womanly cycle for the past month." she whispered as if some horrible thing would happen to her if she were caught telling this to him.

  Beast looked over at her, his eyes growing wider.

  "And your stomach has been sick?"

  "Isn't that obvious?" Beauty hissed and crossed her arms across her chest. 

  Beast chuckled and shook his head.

  "Whore."

°*°

  Beauty couldn't seem to find the air to breath. She stared at the Beast, how could he call her that!

  "I'm not a whore! How could you!" She could feel her cheeks grow hot. "I've never... um... ever..."

  "You had to of "um" because you're pregnant." Beast said, still smiling. 

  Beauty stared at him for a long time, one tear fell down her cheek and she realized then what had happened.

  Angel hobbled down and unlocked the door; his smile vanished when he saw a tear in Beauty's eye. He glared at the Beast. Beauty walked past him and up the stairs and straight to bed. Angel, to the surprise of Beast, actually _kicked_ Beast in the shin before turning and bolting as fast has his legs could carry him up the stairs.

°*°

  "Teresita..."

  Beauty walked out to the front grounds and looked around. White snow blanketed the ground, and the sky was clouded and promised more snow later in the evening. 

  "Teresita..." 

  She could hear it as if someone was screaming it on the top of their lungs, but realty said it was only a whisper. She took another step closer towards the forest.

  "Teresita, I'm waiting for you." 

  "Angel?" she asked out into the cold. She began to walk towards the large forest. "Angel, is that you?"

  She saw someone then, a tall, well built man with long braided blonde hair. He stood just at the entrance of the forest. She sprinted towards him, wanting to be in his arms.

  "Angel! By the gods! Is it really you?" She ran towards him. But he turned his back on her and walked into the forest. "Angel? No! Come back!" 

  Beauty ran towards him, screaming out to him. She couldn't lose him now, not again. She was in the woods now, the darkness and angriness of them greeted her. She pushed past the dead branches and towards Angel. She could see nothing else but him...

  So, of course, she didn't see the snow drift that she fell waist deep into. She climbed out of it and stubbornly ran on, following Angel. She tripped again over a dead tree and hit her head. Then everything went black.

°*°

  "Where is she?" Beast asked, trying his best to get the child to stop crying. It was late evening and the snow was falling. The girl hadn't been seen since early afternoon. "Inside or out?"

  Beast learned to try to speak with the most simplest of words while speaking to Angel. The boy only understood a few words. 

  Beast moaned in annoyance when the boy pointed his finger to the woods. The boy grabbed Beast around the waist and sobbed and then hiccupped. Beast laid a large hand on the boy's head and tried to comfort him. He picked the boy up and put him on the table.

  "I am going out there-" he motioned outside, "to find the girl, but you will have to stay here." He pointed to the spot and the boy nodded his head quickly but wouldn't stop crying.

  Beast quickly jumped from his balcony and half fell half climbed down the wall. He quickly went into the forest and cursed the girl in every way he knew how but hoped, for the boy's sake, he could find her. 

  The snow had already been falling for close to half an hour and he couldn't follow any tracks. He would need to use his instincts to this, he knew. He lifted his head into the air and sniffed in the cold wind. Turning in several different directions he finally found her sent and raced out towards her. 

°*°

  Angel hopped off the table and ran straight into Tee's room. He had to prepare for her. He pulled down the blankets and added a few as well. Then he went and started up the fire, after he got it burning beautifully he ran back down the stairs and peered out the window. 

  Not seeing anything he ran to the kitchen and prepared a soothing drink and dinner. The kitchen was magical and he had to do very little work. He guessed that the whole place was probably filled with some ancient magic, that is how his Pa never found him... how no one ever found him...

°*°

  Beast had been out here in this cold for close to half an hour and was beginning to lose faith that he would find her. She would have probably frozen to death by now anyways. The thought didn't sit as well as he thought it would. 

  No, he didn't really want her to die, but he didn't think that it would bother him. He still had too much of his humanity yet to simply not be concerned. 

  "...angel..." 

  Beast turned and saw a large blue patch lying in the white snow. 

  "Stupid girl!" Beast growled as he hurried over to her. He turned her over in his arms and looked at her. Her skin had gone deathly white and she looked worse then he had ever seen her in the month she had lived with him. He growled at her low in his voice and she looked up at him.

  "...Angel?" She asked tears rimming her eyes. 

  "Angel is back at the castle, he is fine! What are you doing out here?"

  "No!" The girl struggled to get out of his arms. "Let me go, I have to get to him!" She moved away from him and began to crawl off towards something that Beast could not see.

  "You're going the wrong way!" Beast stood and picked the girl up by the waist. She pushed and shoved and kicked, with all the strength she had she tried to get away from Beast.

  "They'll kill him! Let me go! He can't die!" She screamed.

  Beast yelped and dropped her to examine the new blooded bite mark she had given him. He stared at her in amazement. _She bit him! _

  Beast grabbed her and turned her to her back and pining her beneath him. A worried look placed upon his face.

  "Who is going to kill Angel?" he asked quietly, his face close to hers and demanding an answer. The girl looked up at him for a long moment before coughing and shaking forcefully. 

  She looked back up towards the direction she was trying to get into. She saw something that Beast did not. And the scream that came from her mouth made Beast pull back and cover his large cat ears. Once again she crawled in the direction of something her mind saw. Beast growled and picked her up, ignoring her screams...

°*°

  "Who is Angel?" Beast asked sitting on the bottom of her bed. Beauty looked up at him and a tear fell down her cheek but she brushed it away.

  "No one," she said lowering her eyes.

  "The father of your baby?" 

  Beauty reached out to slap him but Beast caught it. 

  "I am no whore you stupid, prideful ass! It wasn't my fault!" She sneezed on him and wiped her nose on her bare arm and then realizing all her clothes where gone. 

  "Prideful ass?" Beast laughed. "Name calling are we? Well while we're at it: Stupid Whore."

  Beauty jumped on top of him and clawed at his face and yelled curses at him. He, being much larger and stronger, easily rolled over top of her and pushed her wrists down onto the bed. 

  "Get off of me! Get off of me!" She screamed and kicked and tried to push him off of her. She struggled and squirmed until she realized she couldn't get out of his grasp, then laid there staring up at him angrily. 

  "Now," he said, his breath quick. "If you attack me again I will hurt you."

  Beauty glared at him and when he moved away from her she pulled the blankets around herself. 

  "Who is Angel?"

  "A man," Beauty said looking straight ahead and not daring to look at the Beast. 

 "Is he the father of your child?" 

  Beauty turned her head towards the Beast and looked at him. Then shook her head slowly.

  "He is a dead man,"

  "And the child's father lives?"

  "I hope not," Beauty looked away again, she moved and stood up off the bed, still wrapped in the blanket. "Where are my clothes?" 

  Beast stood up and walked over to her, not really knowing what to say. 

  "You hope not? Did you not love him?"

  "I didn't know him, Beast!" She yelled. "He... he...ah..." 

  "He what?" Beast yelled taking another step closer to her.

  "You're an ass," Beauty said quietly looking up at him then. 

  "Tell me," he whispered. 

  "What is your name?"

  Beast growled and Beauty nodded. 

  "This is _my _castle and I demand that you tell me!" he said, he was bluffing a threat and Beauty easily picked up on it.

  "What will you do to me? Banish me?" Beauty asked also taking a step up towards him. "Why ever would you do that? You have dragged me back here twice!"

  "I will... I'll..." Beast looked at her for a moment and then growled.

  "Like I said, 'an ass'."

  Beast looked back at her; he moved his face very close to hers.

  "No, I'm a Beast." he whispered and growled as he turned to leave the room.

°*°

  Beauty walked up the stairs and tapped on the door. She stepped inside and saw him standing on the balcony. 

  "Beast," she said, anger was still in her voice. 

  "If you came here to argue with me more; I'm not in the mood."

  "I only want my clothes and can't find Angel." 

  "He is gathering firewood." Beast looked over at her and noticed she was still wrapped up in the blankets. "You said someone was trying to kill him. Did you mean the lad or the man you knew?"

  Beauty sat down on the edge of the fur bed. Wrapping herself tighter in the blankets she breathed a steadying breath.

  "Angel was the man I loved," she looked up to see the expression that Beast had. He looked at her curiously. "We were in the woods, I don't know why it happened but he was attacked by men. He apparently knew them and, well, they fought. He didn't survive." 

  She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat and fought back her tears. She refused to cry. She looked up at the shocked expression on Beasts face. 

  "And how did you become pregnant?"

  "You can't figure that out on your own?" Beauty exclaimed, shock and embarrassment showing on her face. 

  "You were forced then." It was more of a statement then a question. 

  "I don't want to talk about this anymore," Beauty said with a slight sob. 

  "Fine," Beast snapped out and turned and looked back out his balcony.

  Beauty stood to leave, holding back the tears yet again.

  "Marc."

  She turned to look at him, not understanding.

  "My name _was_ Marc," he didn't turn to look at her, and she understood that that was his form of an apology. She nodded, though he couldn't see it, then turned and walked out the door. 

  She found Angel easily enough and was returned her clothing. Angel had at first tried to get her back into bed thinking she wasn't well enough to be out yet. She reassured him that she was fine and after they, she and Angel, ate dinner she held him on her lap again and let him fall asleep. 

°*°

  "You should be sleeping in a real bed," Beast grumbled as he lifted Angel up by the back of his shirt. "And so should the boy." 

  Angel, who was normally the first one to wake was still sound asleep. Even when Beast picked him up in such a crazy and not so gentle manner the child stayed asleep. 

  "Don't do that to him." Beauty said reaching out and cradling the boy in her arms again. "He is just a child."

  "He is tougher than you think." 

  Beauty didn't say anything, just stood and laid the boy carefully down on the couch and covered him up with the blanket. 

  "You shouldn't be lifting things," Beast muttered slightly while glancing out the window at the progress of the garden. 

  Beauty glared at him, explaining with her expression that that was the _last_ thing she wished to speak about. She turned and walked out of the room.

  Beast growled, he liked her better when she argued with him. He looked down at the sleeping boy before turning and stalking from the room. 

°*°

  Angel sat up once he heard Kiddy and Tee walk away. He frowned when he noticed they walked in _opposite directions. He sighed and pushed the blanket off of himself and moved away from the couch. He had to figure out another way to get Kiddy and Tee together. _

  He glanced out the window as he walked past to the garden and laying his fist over his heart he closed his eyes and wished that the day Tee and Kiddy fell in love a rose bush would bloom full of the prettiest red roses in the world. That way he would know when they fell in love. He opened one eye first and frowned deeper when no bush had bloomed just yet... He had hoped so much that they really _did love each other, just didn't know how to show it. Ma had said that when she and Pa first met he was too afraid to tell her he loved her. She said he didn't know how to say the words, even though they are so easy to say sometimes people have trouble with it. _

  Ma talked a lot to Angel, or Kyle, as he was known then. He liked his new name but wished that Tee would call him Kyle, just once. He wanted to hear his real name come from her. He imagined she would say it just like his Ma did. He could remember a lot of the things Ma had said to him. He didn't understand all the words but he liked the way she spoke. Her voice was like music... a lot like Tee's voice is. Really sweet and pretty.

°*°


	11. chapter 11

Hey look!!! Another chapter….I thought I'd post another one real quick for Unleashed_Soul, cause I kinda slacked off there a bit…thanks again to all the readers and reviewers!!!…

°*°

  Beast watched as the girl, Beauty, he shook his head at the thought of calling her that, picked up another large and probably very heave piece of fallen wood and moving it over to the side of the wall. Angel was digging and playing in the dirt more so then helping her. Beast had thought of helping but something kept him back – he wouldn't admit that it was pride. Angel had decided that the three of them should be in the garden and work together for some reason or another. Beast didn't really care to think on that. He had normally found a way to get out of it, either by hiding out in some spot in the castle or by hunting and eating his fill. For some reason or another though, whenever Angel did find him he put up no fight to come and help in the garden. 

  It was just to keep the boy from bothering him or whatever, he told himself repeatedly. 

  "Beast?" Beauty asked. She dropped the heavy wood and turned to look at him, her hand falling to her belly. She opened her mouth to speak but then smiled and shook her head. She turned and continued to work in the garden.

  Beast could tell how much she loved the unborn child. She would hum to it while she rocked in a chair or rub her stomach and smile when she thought no one was watching. She didn't really know anything about the birthing, or even what happens so much during the pregnancy of children. She seemed to be too embarrassed to ask. Angel didn't seem to notice, and for some reason Beast hoped the child wouldn't know. The girl would be able to leave here in spring, and would take the unborn child with her. Beast wasn't sure what it was about Angel, the girl and the unborn child that troubled him so, he only hoped that the little boy would simply never find out the girl was with child.

°*°

  Two months had passed by since Beauty found out she was pregnant. She touched her growing belly lovingly. It wasn't large enough for anyone else to notice, but she could tell by the way her dress fit her – or didn't fit her would perhaps be the better way to say it. Her belly was beginning to push against the fabric of the dress that had once looked so beautiful on her. It was getting old; she had worn it day in and day out for the past three months. She learned how to hem by trying over and over again to re-hem the bottom of it. The velvet was stained beyond repair and the satin didn't shine the way it once did. In the entire castle she could only find this one dress that fit her! Either the other dresses were too long, made for a taller woman, or too largely busted made for a shapelier woman. There were even a few that would fit her if only she was a bit shorter. She guessed those dresses belonged to a younger woman of perhaps thirteen years of age. She had looked at the paintings in the rooms and wondered about the lives of these people. 

  Angel hobbled into the room and smiled up at her. It was December; Beauty thought counting the days, and normally a Christmas feast would be coming soon. Everyone would be preparing, buying elegant gowns for the balls, or cooking fine foods. At this point in time Beauty would have her fabric picked out for her gown and would have had already had a fitting done. She would be helping her little sister pick out the perfect shade and type of fabric and then would help her out when it was time for the fittings. She would tell the seamstress to do something more elegant than what was planed and needless to say the child was the prettiest child at any occasion. 

  Beauty sighed, she was beginning to miss her family. Her father, though he was forcing her to marry, loved her very much. And she loved him too and missed him. She wondered if he was searching for her. Even though her sisters annoyed her or argued with her a lot she missed them both. 

  Beauty held out her hand to Angel and lifted him up to set him on the table. As she did though, pain erupted through her and she screamed out and fell to the floor. Angel hovered over her in different directions but didn't know what to do. Beauty screamed out again and looked down at her the skirts of her dress in horror.

  There was a lot of blood.

  Angel hopped on his good foot for a moment before running off in a different direction. Beauty almost screamed out for him to stay, she didn't want to be left alone, but common sense told her the child was going to get the Beast. She grunted and rolled over to her back; what would the Beast know?

  She closed her eyes and in the darkness she saw a tall man with long blonde hair, the man she loved more then anything else in the world. She reached out to him but realized he was far too far away for her to reach. She opened her mouth to call out to him until she saw something in his arms. A small bundle of yellow – a blanket? She heard a small cry and shook her head from side to side and screamed "no" over and over again, though she couldn't hear herself. That was _her_ baby! She didn't want to lose it! She wanted it back, she screamed and cried all the more when Angel turned and walked away still carrying the small yellow blanket that held the last piece of her heart.

°*°

  Beast entered the large kitchen to see Beauty lying on the floor crying. Her skirts were covered in blood and her hands clutched to her stomach. Beast quickly lifted her into his arms and carried her up the stairs and towards one of the several rooms. It didn't matter which one, he was later glad that it wasn't her own room. He laid the girl down on the bed and turned to see Angel was already starting a fire. 

  He turned back to the girl and lifted her skirts up around her hips. He had once seen his mother, who was the towns' midwife, help give birth to a child. He had hid in one of the cabinets so she wouldn't yell at him to leave. He knew that it was far too soon for Beauty to give birth. He turned to the lad who looked at him oddly, of course not understanding what was going on. Beast picked the boy up hurriedly by the back of his shirt and pushed him out the door. Angel grabbed Beast's waist and tried to get back into the room, worried for the girl.

  "I promise," Beast said getting close to the boy's face, "I won't let her die." He nodded his head, as if realizing that now he had to keep that promise. He may have been a prideful bastard but he was not a liar. The boy cried and sat on the floor as Beast slammed the door and turned to look at the girl. 

°*°

  Angel sat on the floor just out side the door and cried. He was so afraid for Tee. He loved Tee and Kiddy both very much. He had at first placed an ear to the door and tried to listen but other than hearing Tee crying and Kiddy talking gently he couldn't make out what was going on.

  He knew something had been different with Tee for a while. She began to hug her belly a lot, but he didn't really understand what was going on. It was better that he didn't know about the baby, if Tee had a healthy child then Angel's idea of Tee and Kiddy and himself being a family might not work out. He looked around himself at the hall way, the floor, the ceiling, the walls, the pictures, the stairs, the castle... it had given him his sanctuary from his father, it had given him everything he wished for. He had wished that he wouldn't be alone anymore and he found Kiddy. He wished he had someone like Ma and he found Tee. He wished for food and when he went to the kitchen he found it, for drink as well. Anything he needed all he had to do was wish for it and it would come to him.

  Why was the castle trying to take it all away from him? Did it not love him anymore? He still loved it! That wasn't fair! He brushed his tears away and laid a closed fist over his heart and wished that Tee would not die. Then he opened his eyes and looked around the castle once again, the look on his face daring it not to listen to his wish. He stood up and ran into her room and lit a warm fire, pulled down the blankets and got everything ready. He had seen her sick before, but when she lay on the floor in the kitchen, which was the first time he had ever seen her scared. 

  He opened the wardrobe and pulled out a long white nightgown. He hoped it would fit her, but really wasn't sure. It was really pretty. Long and plain except for lacy ruffles on the bottom of the gown, bottom of the long sleeves and the top of the low cut neck. He laid it on the bed as well so that she have an easy time changing into it and then hurried out of the room and sat once again on the floor by the door.

°*°

  Beauty woke and looked up into Beast's face. He had green eyes; she had never really noticed that before. She looked at him for a long moment and wondered what his story was. She touched her belly and felt how much flatter it was. She looked up at him questionably and shook her head several times. He answered all her questions with just those green cat-like eyes. 

  "Beauty, listen," he muttered but she shook her head again, she didn't want to listen. 

  "I want my baby," she said softly, still looking up at him as if he was the one who could give the baby back. "Please, I want my baby.."

  "I..." Beast searched for something to say... anything! But nothing came to his mind other then the words that he never before uttered. 

  "I'm so sorry."

  Beauty shook her head again. Two tears fell from her eyes before she drifted off to sleep. Beast wiped the tears off of her cheeks and gently lifted her out of the bloodied bed. 

  He growled when Angel tried to help and laid the girl down on her own bed. Gently he removed her dress and cleaned the blood from her thighs. He slipped the white nightgown over her head and then covered her up in the warm blankets.

  Angel looked up at him when the Beast closed the door to the girl's room. Angel held out his arms to the cat like creature and Beast surprised himself when he picked the boy up and carrying him the way a child should be carried up to his room. Angel crawled onto the soft furs and curled into a ball and fell asleep beside the Beast.

°*°

  The woman looked at the pot burning over the open fire. She looked back down to the dead raven that lay on the table and plucked a few of its feathers before tossing them into the brew. She muttered a few words and tossed another odd, and perhaps a little more stomach turning, ingredient into the brown liquid. 

  She poured water into a bowl and let a drop of the liquid fall into the water as well. She smiled when the water began to show her visions, and then frowned at the sight of things she did not expect to see. And with some of those visions, anger grew inside of her and pain stung her broken heart..  

Hey again, techbaby here-  -I will try to post another chapter later in the week or over the weekend, I only have a few more on my drive, so then I'll have to wait for Unleashed_Soul to send me the rest.  I did get a quick messege from her saying that she had been working on wrapping it up, so I'm assuming there aren't many more to go.

Ok, you know the drill…read and review

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	12. chapter 12

Hello all – techbaby here!!!  Sorry to say that I haven't heard from lil sis Unleashed Soul for quite a while, she and mommy recently moved to a new house. I'm not sure if they'll get internet access, but from earlier discussions with her, she can send me chapters for posting from an internet café.  So, now all I have to do is wait, which sadly means all of ya'll gotta wait too.  Sorry.  I only have 2 more chapters left on my drive.  But anyway….I know, I'm going on and on……

**_Big thanks to all you great readers and reviewers!!!_**

°*°

_  "Why can't you just love me?" She whined. He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. He was so beautiful. He had dark green eyes and his hair was as black as ebony. His body was perfect; tall, strong from the hard labor and darkly tanned by the sun. _

_  "Please," he said it as if she was joking; his tone breaking her heart into pieces and the expression on his face stomping on them. _

_  "Tell me!" she screamed out, lifting her fists into the air and pounding them into his chest. _

_  He easily grabbed her fists and she fell onto his bare chest and soaked him in tears. He laid a gentle hand on her head, she could feel how strong he was even when he was being gentle. He stroked her mass of red curls until she stopped crying and looked up at him. His face still wore the same arrogant and prideful expression. _

_  "Tell me," she whispered._

_  "Because, Ella, I can't love you." he said it matter-of-fact. He hurt that empty spot where her heart was just a moment ago; the moment before he ripped it from her. _

_  "Because it would hurt your pride? Is that it? You can't love a noble; you can't because it would mean that everything you said before would be wrong. It would mean that not all nobles where terrible!"_

_  "Is it possible, Ella, for you to be wrong?" He smiled when he said this. He smiled that radiant, lovely smile that melted her soul. _

_  "Am I?" she asked. _

_  It was such a simple question. So why didn't he answer it?_

_  "Marc," she whispered. "I am the only__ woman who will ever love you!"_

°*°

  Ella brushed her red hair back out of her face. She let the memory fade from her mind as she stared at the vision the water had showed her. Marc, _her Marc, was holding a woman in his arms. Ella was unable to see the woman's face, but that hardly matter compared to what she _did_ see. Marc carrying a woman and gently laying her on the bed..._

  Ella pushed the bowl and let the contents spill to the ground. She didn't want to see anymore. That bitch couldn't love Marc! Her spell made it so that no other woman could ever love him the way she did. She laid her hands on the table to steady herself and cried. 

°*°

  Beauty woke and looked up into Beast's green eyes once again.

  "What are you doing here?" she asked sitting up slowly but then laid back down, she wasn't yet ready to face reality. "How long have you been in here?" 

  "Just came in to see if you were awake yet," he muttered. Beauty nodded and swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "Where is Angel, is he okay? Does he...?" She had to take a deep breath to steady herself. "Does he know?" 

  "He is working in the garden, and no, he only knows that you were ill."

  "Why did it happen, Beast?" 

  Beast shook his cat head. 

  "It's unfair," she muttered holding her stomach and sitting up once again. 

  "I know," he placed a paw-ish hand on her cheek and made her look at him. "But things like this happen. No doctor or mid-wife could do anything about it." 

  "Is it my fault?" She asked, she really didn't know.

  "No," he whispered gently. "It is _no ones fault. It was just a something that happened in your life. It was a bad thing. But it wasn't __your fault." She looked away from him. A tear fell from her eyes but she wiped it away quickly. "Do you believe me?" _

  She still didn't look at him, but she did nod.

  "Look at me, Teresa." She did. "Do you believe me?" 

  Beauty stared at him for along moment. She felt another tear fall and reached up to wipe it away as well but Beast grabbed her hand and stopped her. The tear rolled off her cheek and down onto her white nightgown. And then another tear fell, and another. Beast didn't let her hand go, didn't let her wipe those tears away.

  "Go ahead and cry," he whispered.

  Beauty shook her head, she didn't want to cry.

  "You loved that man who died, you loved your unborn child," he growled, growing slightly angry. "Why won't you cry for them?"

  Beauty opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the words. She shook her head again.

  "If you don't cry, Teresa, it will build up inside of you and, eventually, it will kill you." 

  She shook her head again and let it fall into her hands. He pulled her close and let her cry on his chest.

  "Teresita," he whispered and Beauty wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest and let the tears and sobs poor from her body.

°*°

  Angel looked around the small garden. He hopped on his good foot for a moment and tried to figure out what to do next. He couldn't move all the heavy stuff; the fallen and rotten benches, the big stones that had fallen off the far wall or the logs from who knows where. He really couldn't do too much without Tee's help. He sighed and sat down on the fountain in the middle of the garden and looked around at the dead, colorless place. 

  But wait, he saw color! Why was there color in here? He stood up and walked towards the splash of red color he saw. He had to move thorns and a few weeds to get a good view of the bush of red rose buds. They hadn't bloomed yet... but they were alive! He smiled widely and pulled his hand away. 

  He had moved his hand too quickly and a thorn cut the top of his hand and fat drop of blood fell and landed on one of the several rose buds, the blood disappeared into the red color of the buds. Angel ignored the cut and hurried inside to see where Kiddy and Tee where.

  He didn't see that the rose bud his blood had landed on began to open slightly.

°*°

  Beast had held Beauty until she fell asleep. She seemed to have cried her fill. He saw Angel running – or hobbling, however you wish to call it – towards him. The boy lost his balance in his sprint and Beast reached out a hand just in time to save the brat from falling. 

  Angel looked up at him. A smile still implanted on his youthful face. Beast pulled the boy back to his feet and noticed the blood on his hand. 

  "What happened?" Beast asked as he pulled the boy's arm up to have a look.

  The boy, as if just now realizing that he cut himself, looked down at his hand in horror and tears welt up in his eyes. Beast sighed impatiently. 

_  Must everybody__ cry this day?_

  He wiped the blood away and thought the boy should be satisfied to see no more blood coming, but of course, he was wrong. A small tear rolled down the boy's cheek and his bottom lip pouted out and began to shake. 

  "Don't cry..." he muttered, not knowing what to do. "What am I supposed to do?" 

  Angel kissed his cut and then held it out to Beast to do the same. Beast's eyes widened for a second and then, after looking around as if someone might see, he kissed the boy's cut quickly, then looked around once more. 

  Angel smiled happily and wiped his cheeks and eyes with his dirty sleeves and then hugged Beast tightly around the waist and ran off to, Beast guessed, find Beauty.

  Beast sighed and thought back to what Beauty had said; "Why did this happen?" Should he have answered in some way?

  He growled at himself. His mother had lost several children the way Beauty just lost hers. Beast had been the second oldest and after he was born his mother began to have problems giving birth to children. She did end up having five sons and two daughters, but she had lost perhaps four or five unborn children. She had cried for each one of them. She was a good mother and loved every child she ever had, or would have had. 

  Beast growled again and walked off towards his sanctuary, and of course, to find his dinner. 

°*°


End file.
